Hi.
I have a problem with placing component into assembly using API in VB.NET. Below you can see a sample hierarchy in my assembly file:
There is a main assembly file (MainAssembly.iam), which has a component (SubAssembly:1), and this component has another component (sub-component Part:1) with construction plane called "PL1". Into main assembly I need to insert another component (PartToInsert:1) which has created construction plane "PL_Insert" in it. After inserting this component I want to add Mate Constraint using "PL1" plane and "PL_Insert" plane. So the path to these planes in context of my main assembly is:
MainAssembly.iam -> SubAssembly:1 -> Part:1 -> PL1
MainAssembly.iam -> PL_Insert
I have biggest problem with getting access to PL1 plane in context of main assembly because this plane is nested into another components. I've developed a solution which works but it is too simple:
Private Sub btnTEST_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles btnTEST.Click
' insert part (PartToInsert:1)
Dim partPath As String
Dim partToInsert As ComponentOccurrence
Dim positionMatrix As Matrix = GlobalVariables._invApp.TransientGeometry.CreateMatrix
partPath = <path_to_PartToInsert.ipt>
partToInsert = GlobalVariables.assemblyCurrentDef.Occurrences.Add(partPath, positionMatrix)
Dim partToInsDef As PartComponentDefinition
partToInsDef = partToInsert.Definition
' parent (SubAssembly:1)
Dim subPartParent As ComponentOccurrence
subPartParent = GlobalVariables.assemblyCurrentDef.Occurrences.ItemByName("SubAssembly:1")
Dim subPartParentDef As AssemblyComponentDefinition
subPartParentDef = subPartParent.Definition
' fixed part (Part:1)
Dim subPart As ComponentOccurrence
subPart = subPartParentDef.Occurrences.ItemByName("Part:1")
Dim subPartDef As PartComponentDefinition
subPartDef = subPart.Definition
' create workplanes and proxies
Dim planeP As WorkPlane
Dim planePProxy As WorkPlaneProxy
planeP = partToInsDef.WorkPlanes.Item("PL_Insert")
'partToInsert.CreateGeometryProxy(planeP, planePProxy)
GlobalVariables.assemblyCurrentDef.Occurrences.Item(2).CreateGeometryProxy(planeP, planePProxy)
Dim subPartPlane As WorkPlane
subPartPlane = subPartDef.WorkPlanes.Item("PL1")
Dim subPartPlaneProxy As WorkPlaneProxy
'subPart.CreateGeometryProxy(subPartPlane, subPartPlaneProxy)
GlobalVariables.assemblyCurrentDef.Occurrences.Item(1).SubOccurrences.Item(1).CreateGeometryProxy(subPartPlane, subPartPlaneProxy)
' add constraint
Dim mateConstr As AssemblyConstraint
mateConstr = GlobalVariables.assemblyCurrentDef.Constraints.AddMateConstraint(planePproxy, subPartPlaneproxy, 0)
End Sub
In orange color I want to emphasize code which I was need to comment because it didn't work. I was getting an exception error and the workaround is:
GlobalVariables.assemblyCurrentDef.Occurrences.Item(1).SubOccurrences.Item(1).CreateGeometryProxy(subPartPlane, subPartPlaneProxy)
It isn't a good solution for me because I must rely on the index in Item properties and if I had more than one component in my main assembly it will be hard for me to obtain which index is correct. It also do not provide a solution when there is more complicated sub-component, which has another sub component, because I strictly defined a connection to Item to which proxy is created.
Could you tell me how should I create proxies to plane in component Part:1 in context of main assembly in more convenient way? And why orange code is not working? It will help me a lot if I could create these proxies using ComponentOccurrence object directly, just like in the orange commented lines of code.